What if he didn't return?
by Palander
Summary: In coral field, when Guy ran away from croods. What if he didn't return with boots and help them get to tomorrow? life in tomorrow and little bit of romance. rated M for sadness and death. Enjoy!
1. Never looking back

Warning a little sad story about Croods with good ending. I thought what would Guy do if he left Croods in the coral field. Excuse my english. Enjoy!

Guy had a chance, and he took it. Running away from this mad family. He only stopped to catch his breath when he was sure they can't see him. Guy slowly looked back at Croods. Grug was sitting on a log that was his prison just moments ago.

And then, his heart ached. Eep, probably only one that he didn't though of as mad, was staring with confused look. She was trying to spot him, but even her hunters eyes were blinded with one thought.

He isn' t coming back.

Guy leaned back, trying to think. He can return, try to help them and maybe they can make it to tomorrow. But maybe Grug won't agree and they all will die.

Or he and belt will leave croods behind and continue their journey, alone.

This was second time his mind was saying "go" and his hearth "stay."

It happened for the first time when his parents fell in tar. He wanted to stay. But after his parents pleading for him to leave, he turned around and ran away, never looking back.

Guy felt like it's all happening again. Run away or stay with his "family."

Family, funny how he was thinking of croods as family. But they weren't. His family was dead, and croods, just a group of cavies could never really be his family.

Guy looked back again, every crood was sitting and looking at ground. Only one was still standing and waiting for him to return, the tiger girl.

And it was this moment he decided to leave. He knew if he looked back once more and see how confusion in Eep's eyes turned to sorrow, he would choose to stay with them. But he couldn't do that, he had a mission, make it to tomorrow and live.

As Guy walked away, not looking back ever again his companion and only family oh his waist murmured.

"I know Belt, we are alone again".

**later**

After two days of walking with stops in the night for sleep, he started to feel guilty. Just like when he left his parents in tar.

But why was he feeling guilty? He wanted to help "her" at first. But then it all changed when he saw "her" family. Guy tried to run away that morning, but she was a lot faster. And it changed even more after log prison and lack of respect . Sure, he didn't want them to bend before him and thank for their saving. "Hey, thank you for helping us." would be enough. Or at least not putting him in that dumb log and let him walk next to them like normal human being?! No, Grug was acting like Guy did nothing. But if it wasn't for him saving them with fire, they would be dead!

And then it clicked in Guy's mind.

They would be dead. They already can be dead, thanks to him. For the first time he stopped and looked back. Somewhere croods were struggling to survive, not knowing how to continue without him. He left them to die.

He was so much time alone with Belt, that he forgot how it felt walking with ... someone. He was in log on grug's back, but still it felt good to have company. Ugga trying to calm Sandy while she was bitting Thunk, Gran complaining and Eep ... staring him in the eyes. Guy felt a new feeling everytime she looked at him and her Hunter's eyes turned into soft gaze, with big smile afterwars.

Guy wondered how her face looked like when she saw him leaving.

He turned his head and saw mountain, his path to tomorrow. But, did he really want to be there alone? Well, not exactly alone, he had Belt and ... Belt. No one else.

Could he forgive himself for killing Croods?

First time Guy saw Eep, gave her shell and left her, he felt guilty. But he didn't know her. It was just a face and name, nothing more. And he felt guilty for leaving her behind. But now? Guy knew Eep and her family. Their personalities, quirks and much more about them. And still he left them to die.

Guy was standing on one place, without any movement looking in the direction of the mountain for dozen minutes. Sun was already up.

Then Belt nudged him, wondering what is Guy thinking.

"Are we going back?" Guy asked Belt and scratched his head. Belt looked at him, and Guy knew that his companion agrees with him.

Guy turned around and ran. He was running fastest he could, going farther from the mountain.

After running for five hours straight his throath was sore. He was breathing very hardly, his legs hurt like macawnivore bites. But he didn't gave up. Even when Guy started to run slower and slower, he didn't stop. Only time he stopped was for a few moments at night while he built a fire. But then with torch in one hand he ran, again.

He wasn't that far from place he left croods in. He walked in slow pace and whole night slept. So it took one day and one night to return there.

Darkness was beggining to fade away when he entered coral field. Guy was tired, very tired, but when he saw spikey stones in distance he ran faster, as if his strengh came back. Mud was everywhere, but even mud began to harden. It rained probably one day ago.

Spikey stones before him began to glow, thanks to rising sun. Guy felt happy as ever when he stepped on first spikey stone. He was so close.

While running with crumbling spikey stones underneath him, he thought about what is he going to say.

It won't be easy, explaing why he left them and even more why he returned. What if they won't forgive him for leaving them?

What if Grug will beat life out of him for it? What if Eep will change toward him for betraying her? What if they wouldn't want to follow him to tomorrow?

No, there wasn't any "what if". Guy had to find them. He was closer and closer. And then he yelled with hoarse, tired voice.

"I'm here!"

He ran around coral and stopped. He returned to the place he left them.

No one. Guy hoped there they would be, standing at the same place. But then reality hit him. Why would they stay in the same place for three days and one night without any protection from predators and on top of it in rain?

Guy looked at his trembling legs. He didn't rest nor eat and dring for almost four days. He was so weak. If anything decided to jump on him and make him it's dinner, he couldn't defend himself.

But then he saw something under his boots, footprints. Bigger and smaller footprints everywhere. Croods. He walked few steps and found circles, they were laying there, in mud and rain waiting for him.

In biggest footprints there was a little bit of dried blood. Grug probably got hurt while trying to walk on spikey stones.

All footprints ended in one path, they walked away from here, trying to find place to sleep. He followed path of the Croods for hours.

"I'm here!" Guy yelled again. No answer. Belt was already sleeping. Guy wanted to rest for a while too, but he couldn't, not before he finds them and explains everything. Before he begs them forgivness for leaving them. His vision was blurry from tiredness. He stopped at the edge of big valley when he saw ...

...lava. Valley full of lava and other edge of valley broken. The end. It was right before him, right under his legs. Guy felt lump in his throath. No, this didn't happen. Eep, Ugga, Sandy, Gran, Thunk and Grug.

They couldn't be ... no.

"No." Guy said outloud trying to calm himself. He looked at path of Croods footprints. They led in the valley. Last footprint, Eep's was right at the edge. And under edge was nothing more than lava.

If they fell in it, they had no chance of survival, no chance of surviving lava. If they were on other side, they wouldn't survive. They didn't survive.

Guy couldn't breath, couldn't swallow, couldn't think.

"What have I done."

He fell backwards on the ground and looked at the sky.

No they couldn't be. Few days ago he was setting trap with Eep, and laughing together as Thunk said something about eating bugs.

He was telling her about beautiful tigeress that flew to tomorrow.

This story shouldn't have sad ending. The tigress didn't fell. So why did she?!

He was still lying on his back. Guy was crying. Crying so much it hurt. Crying so much he yelled from all the pain.

"What have I done?!" His voice echoed in the valley. After crying his hearth out he stood up. Belt thigtened his grip on his waist, trying to comfort him.

What if they made it? Maybe he'll found footprints coming away from valley. Guy walked next to the edge of valley, hoping to find any hint of their survival. But he didn't. He knew they were dead. Guy returned back to the place where he found their last footprints. Layed down and cried himself to sleep, not caring if he was hungry and thirsty or if his legs were bleeding.

Morning. He woke up in the middle of sunrise. Sky was beautiful. Guy sat when he felt earthquake. He knew what was coming. Guy knew that, today he will die. End was one meter away from him, even if he ran away from here, End would catch him. End would be faster, and Guy would die one way or another.

So why exhaust himself with pointless running? It was easier to lay at one place and wait for End to win.

Funny, Guy always thought that he will make it to tomorrow and make his parents proud. Always when he felt earthquake he knew that End is near. He always blew his shell, as if saying "Show me what you got" and feeling pride afterwards, when he realized he won another round with End.

That was the reason he blew his shell the night he met Eep. Guy felt earthquake and he was "laughing" at the End for not catching him again.

But this day, Guy knew that End will catch him and in this final round, Guy will be the loser and End winner. Then idea entered his mind.

What if this whole game with End will be tie? Does he really want to wait for End to kill him?

What if he will end his life? That would mean tie, right? What was point of living anyway? He'll die this day, sooner or later.

He stood up and looked at the lava beneath him. But then something at his waist moved. Belt.

Belt was peacefully sleeping, amazing how sloths could sleep through everything. It would be cruel to jump with his companion.

Guy started to cry soundlessly again. He petted the little sloth and sat down. Belt loosened his grip and Guy putted him away from his waist on ground. Guy looked at his friend and only family. He covered little creatures sleeping eyes with right hand, and took his knife in left hand.

"I'm sorry buddy, I'm sorry. Thank you for everything, I love you." Guy whispered and drew his left hand fastly. Guy took Belt and buried him. It was brutal, but better than dying in scary fall in lava. Belt didn't even know something is going to happen as he was peacefully sleeping.

Guy knelt, stuck knife in the ground and tied his necklace at it. Knife was his Dads, and necklace was made together with his parents. He put his hand on knife and ran fingers around his necklace. Another earthquake.

Guy stood up and walked to the edge of valley. He stepped in the last footprint, footprint of Eep. He made another step into the air as ground started to shake.

If tigress couldn't fly, than boar will follow her.


	2. Family

Guy opened his eyes. Darkness. He was dead. He put his hand up and felt his chest, he was breathing.

He reached to his waist and felt fur. "Belt?" Guy asked and his companion answered with low growl, he was tired and Guy woke him up. Belt slowly dragged himself away from Guy and continued to sleep.

Guy's whole body hurt, while sitting up he felt how his chest hurt. He looked around.

Necklace on neck, belt next to him, knife on his waist and dark sky turning into sunrise.

Despite his painful body he stood up and walked away from, fur bed? Where was he? He went to fireplace. On other side of beach he saw Grug, Gran, Sandy, Thunk and Ugga in sleep pile. A little bit away from them on fur bed was laying his beautiful tigress, Eep. Croods and Belt are alive.

It was just a nightmare. He sat before fireplace, where fire was long ago burning. And started crying. He didn't like to cry, and even more when living with Croods. He didn't want to show them how weak he is. He turned to look at the big water, sea as Eep and he called it. He was in tomorrow. They were in tomorrow. He and his family. They are safe.

"Are you alright?"

Guy jumped a little as somone behind him spoke.

"Yes, just ... just a nightmare."

Eep sat next to him. He didn't even notice when she got up. She moved so silently, like a true huntress. Eep knew what nightmare meant, Guy explained it to her when she had one about her dad dying at the End.

"Are you crying?" Eep asked in soft voice. She always knew when something was wrong with him.

"No."

"You are really good at lying ..." Eep answered annoyed and sat next to him.

"Why aren't you sleeping? It's early." Guy looked at her with smile.

"Well, I saw you here alone and when I noticed you are crying. How could I sleep?"

Guy's heart pounded a little faster, it felt so good to have someone who cares about him.

"Thank you." Guy said and hestitantly wrapped arm around her back.

"For what? You brought us here. I should be one thanking you."

"No, I mean. I wouldn't make it here without you and your family. Maybe you'll think I'm crazy but ... I think I saw in my dream what would happen If I left you in coral field."

Eep understood. "So, what happened? If you want to talk about it, if not then ..."

"First I ran back to find you, then I noticed you all were waiting for me in rain. Then I found footprints ane they lead to the End. Basically you and your family died in End. In sorrow I cried, killed Belt and jumped into the lava. Everyone died." Guy fastly explained, not wanting to cry again, not before Eep.

"Why did you kill yourself?"

"I realized that I would die, cause End was so close and I couldn't live alone again. I couldn't live without you" Guy embarassed and horrified blushed. "And ... and without your family too of course. I love them too."

"Guy? Are you really feeling better?"

Guy nodded and Eep smiled mischievously.

"Dad is still sleeping. Want to go for a walk?"

"Without telling him? Won't he kill me?!"

"As I said before, I won't let him. And he likes you, he wouldn't kill you. Maybe scare you a little with throwing rocks and little chase, but that's all." Eep stood and reached hand out toward Guy.

"For spending time with you, every little chase from your dad is worth it." Guy took her hand and soon they were in the cold water.

It was fun splashing water at each other, they felt like kids. Until kids game changed into hugging and kiss.

Being so close to Eep, his body warm from her even in cold water and feeling her breath on his face. It was one of the best things he found out about, kiss.

They parted and Guy with crooked smile whispered " For this moment, everything that happened was totally worth it."

"I love you, but sometimes you talk too much." She whispered back and kissed him again, while he slowly moved his arms a little under her waist.

Guy knew that he made a good choice when he didn't left croods.

He was enjoing their little secret moment in water until ...

"Eep!" Grug's voice echoed probably through the whole tomorrow.

Guy and Eep both looked behind them at the beach. There he was, Grug standing with fury in his eyes on the edge of water. He saw everything. Guy as fastly as he could removed his hands from Eep.

Grug was already making his way through water to them. He was big man, but faster than he looked like.

"Guy!" Grug yelled his name. He sure was in trouble. For him it was just a fun time in water and little bit of more "fun" on top of it. But Grug saw it as a Boy touching and kissing his little girl. And he did what cavemen fathers do, scare that dangerous boy away. He liked Guy but too much, was too much.

Guy smiled when Grug was few meters away from them. Maybe he shouldn't have held her like that. Guy turned to Eep.

"You know, it was still worth it." And he ran through waves to the beach with Grug behind his back.

He ran around sleeping Ugga, Gran, Sandy and Thunk. Grug was close behind him, growling.

Ugga smiled and yelled after them "Good Morning."

Soon Grug and Guy yelled "Good morning" back.

Gran stirred and laughed. "Again?"

Ugga nodded with smile.

Gran laughed even more "He won't left the poor boy alone."

Guy turned his head and looked back at Grug still running right behind him. He got used to it by now. That was the reason he was so careful when being around Eep. Grug was always watching them. But he didn't complain. It was his family, and he wouldn't change a thing.

He made a good choice.

Thank you for reading this story. At first I wanted to leave it where basically everone dies, but then I thought "Hey so many bad things happened, what if it's all just a nightmare for Guy?" And second chapter existed. Yea it was a little fluff. I thought about writing new chapters and made this into a little series of how Guy and Croods are living in tomorrow. But it's up to you. I'll be very happy for your rewievs, and tell me. Should I continue?

Thank you for reading ...


End file.
